Vikas Chadha is the Managing Director of the London based award-winning Global Accounting and Financial services outsourcing major GI Outsourcing. GI outsourcing has a presence in the UK and India with offices in London and Mumbai with a team of around 200 Accounting and Finance professionals who work on various financial services for clients in sectors including Hospitality, Travel, Retail, Health, manufacturing etc. among others. The company has a strong pedigree and history of nearly 20 years of service and a pool of esteemed clients with a strong loyalty towards GI outsourcing.
Vikas is a well know senior Business leader in the Finance circles with more than 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles and advisory boards having worked at major corporates including Tata Global Beverages, Mahindra and Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Thomas Cook, Marico, Berggruen Hotels and Vibgyor education to name a few. Vikas is also the author of the No. 1 Amazon Bestseller book “Secret of Success and a Happy Heart” and speaks on various forums.
In a conversation with CXO Outlook, Vikas talks about being a writer, the success of his book, and much more.
When did you realize you want to become a writer? What inspired you to write the book Happy Heart: Stories of Inspiration?
My stint with writing began when I donned the hat of columnist with various publications including CEO world, Business world, Economic times. Along with I was lucky to get an opportunity to address students in various institutes and colleges especially with respect to career and education. Writing a book was natural progression as I wanted to share a few virtues with readers which are essential to have a happy and successful life that all of us should keep working towards. Today, the times are challenging, but in everyone’s life especially the people we perceive to be successful, these kinds of challenges frequently occur, however they have been resilient and fought these battles to come out stronger and successful. There are many powerful stories of real-life hero’s which I am sure will motivate us in these times to give more towards the overall betterment of the world at large.
What is the difference between a writer and a speaker? Which of these roles you enjoy most?
While in my view speaking and writing are two different worlds, however there are lots of similarities as well. Effective Communication and the creativity are the core ingredients for both the roles. Successful writers and speakers are storytellers who weave their thoughts and articulate them in most engaging manner. I personally enjoy being a writer and speaker as they push my boundaries and help me to unleash my creativity.
What was the most challenging part while writing the book?
The most challenging part was finding time when we have multiple major responsibilities weighing on you. I wrote the book during the pandemic when people were finding it hard to cope with various problems in their lives both at professional and personal front, the burning urge to communicate that success factor for each individual is different and in the end the success would be measured with happiness earned and distributed in this journey called life, drove me to dedicate time for the book.
What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching the book?
This book is a culmination of the various experiences and happy stories of success of real people which I was inspired by over the last many years. More than research; I would think of these as inspirations which stay on with you and bring a smile to your face in times of stress. Though if you count as time spent it would span many years but when counted as the enjoyment and satisfaction one receives when he accumulates and recalls these stories, I would say that it was a satisfying process.
What was the most surprising thing you learned during the writing process of Secret of Success and a Happy Heart?
The learnings have been numerous, right from the joy of sharing these stories and thoughts to realizing some of the wonderful achievements of people. One thread which was found to be common in the various stories of success is the simplicity and focus which many of our great real-life heroes had in pursuing their goals. The dedication and humbleness found is something which differentiated the champions and made them champions. I also realized the joy of giving back to the society and as the thought goes when your cup of life is full, distribute it and share with others. This will gain give you ample scope to start afresh and pursue fresh goals and happiness.
How has the response been so far?
The response has been overwhelming, in a just a few days after being registered on Amazon, the book became a best seller. People have loved the book and most fulfilling part has been receiving messages from people sharing how the book has anchored their lives while they were grappling with turmoil in their personal and professional lives. The stories have helped them to bounce back and give a fresh take on life.
What authors do you like to read? What book(s) have had a strong influence on you and your writing?
Who moved my cheese – Dr Spencer Johnson, Rich dad poor dad – Robert Kiyosaki and Dale Carnegie and Jeffery Archer books.
What does literary success look like for you?
The key goal for me to write the book was to inspire millions who have reached their brink to give-up to tell them tales of common people who were in similar situation like them, but the only difference was that they decided to think differently and steer their lives to take charge of their happiness quotient instead of looking for it outside. Thankfully, my book helped to achieve that objective.
What advice would you give to a writer working on his first book?
Be original and be passionate while writing your book. Like cooking or any other passion, a book has to solely written from the heart embracing originality will help you to carve out unique and engaging narrative for your readers.